“The way you say damnation all the time.”

He’d had a lot of compliments in his lifetime, on how he handled a horse, a sword, a pistol, and his fists, and a few compliments on other things from a pretty lass or two, but no one had ever complimented him on cursing. He grinned. Only Bree.

She added another piece of tape to the bandage, her warm fingers brushing his skin. “There, that’s the best I can do. You’re going to have another scar, and this shirt’s history.” They both reached for the ruined shirt, fingers touching. She dropped her hand and turned to gather the first-aid supplies.

Faelan threw the shirt in the trash and stood. “You sure you don’t want me to look at your shoulder?” He was doing a lousy job of protecting her, though to be honest, she fell a lot on her own. Her feet had a mind of their own, and they seemed partial to holes. The scrape on her cheek had healed quickly, but her shoulder was cut, and the knees of the trousers she slept in were torn. Who knew what other scratches he’d find under there? That started him thinking about her naked again.

“No. It’s fine.”

Probably for the best. He might end up doing more than bandage her. “Whose shirt is that?”

“Russell’s.” She pressed her lips together and put away the first-aid kit.

“Why would you wear his shirt? He made you cry.”

“I grabbed the first thing I saw.”

“Did he hurt you?”

“Mostly my dishes and walls.”

She wasn’t telling him everything. “How often does he call?”

“Every day. I’ve tried changing my phone number, moving. But he always finds me. He’s the reason I’m off men.”

“Off men?” Surely she wasn’t one of those women, not after what she’d done with him in the bathroom. In his day, there weren’t many gays, as they called them now. Whoever came up with that name was one wheel short of a wagon. A man with a man, there was nothing happy about that.

“I’m avoiding men for a while.” She glanced at the big tub. Her cheeks turned pink, and she looked away. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes. I need to figure out what I want in a man before I let another one in my life.”

What about him? He was in her life. She hadn’t avoided him in the bathroom. Would she brush him off, brush off what they’d done like it was dirt? What did it matter? Nothing could come of it anyway.

She covered a yawn.

“We need to rest.” Maybe a good night’s sleep would help him remember he was a warrior, not a wronged lover. “I should sleep close by, in case they come back.”

She nodded but still avoided looking at him. “We can sleep in my room. There’s glass on your floor. I’m going to take a shower.”

Just what he didn’t need, another image of her naked. “I’ll block the broken window and then shower in the hall bathroom.” This would be his fourth cleaning today, more than he usually had in a fortnight or more. In the wilds he wouldn’t have bothered, but he couldn’t sleep in the same room with her when he was sweaty from battling demons. He shouldn’t stay in the same room with her anyway, but in truth he wasn’t confident more demons wouldn’t show up tonight.

He cleaned up the broken glass and shoved the dresser and mirror in front of the broken window. It wouldn’t stop a demon, but it might slow him down or give warning. He checked the floorboard. Only the necklace was missing.

After a quick, tormented shower, thinking about her doing the same, he took a blanket and pillow to her bedroom. The bathroom door was closed. He heard the water shut off, and he cleared his mind, focusing on making a bed on the floor. The door opened. Bree stood there wrapped in a towel, eyes wide, skin damp. “I… need my gown.”

Faelan tried not to stare at her long legs, dainty feet, and the swell of breasts he’d take a beating to kiss. He could see all of her but the bits under the towel, and his brain immediately started imagining the rest. He stepped closer, knowing it was a mistake. Her mouth parted, and her tongue darted out to wet her lips.

He followed the damp trail with his thumb. “What you said earlier, what did you mean?”

“What… what did I say?” she asked, taking a step back, staring at his mouth.

He moved closer. “You mentioned my getting this,” he brushed the front of his body against hers, “out of my system. With a woman.”

“I was curious if it would help or make it worse.” She took another step backwards, looking like a trussed rabbit.

Faelan followed, bringing their bodies close again. “Were you offering?” A stupid question after her declaration that she was avoiding men, but his brain wasn’t in charge now.

“I… I don’t know.” Her eyes said she did.

“I need to know,” he whispered. “Badly.”

Knowing how close he’d come to losing her, the torture of sitting next to that tub while she hovered over him and her soft skin covered by only a towel was too much. One kiss, then he’d focus on Druan. Faelan lowered his head. A wisp of a sigh escaped lips already opening for him, and all thoughts of demons and battles fled. Nothing mattered but her. Her lips, her body pressed against his, her stomach soft against his groin. She moaned and sank into him. He pushed against her, aching, as her tongue touched his. He put his arms around her shoulders to draw her closer, and she winced.

Faelan tore his mouth away, disgusted he’d let lust make him forget her injury. And his mission. How could he protect anyone when all he thought about was getting Bree to the nearest bed? Those halflings weren’t the last Druan would send or the worst. “I can’t do this to you.” Faelan looked at Bree’s lips, still open and moist from his kiss. “It’s not fair. And it’s late. We both need rest. Tomorrow we’ll have to find a place to stay. Would your brother let us stay with him a day or two?” He didn’t want to endanger anyone else, but he wanted Bree away from this. He was surprised Biff hadn’t stopped by already.

“I don’t have a brother.”

“What?”

“I lied.”



Chapter 13


“You lied?”

“I didn’t want you to think I was alone,” Bree said. “But I am, except for Peter and Jared. Jared’s out of town, and I didn’t think you’d want to stay with a cop. He already suspects you’re involved. So there’s nowhere for me to go.”

It was smart reasoning on her part, but a lie was a lie. Of course, he’d done nothing but lie since he’d met her, but he’d had no other choice. “You feel safe with me now?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Then turn around and let me see your shoulder.”

“It’s fine.”

“It wasn’t fine when I touched it. Let me see for myself.”

She sighed and turned.

He brushed her hair aside. Three claw marks ran down the top of her shoulder. “What the… I thought you said it was a rock.”

“I knew you’d make a big deal, like when I saw your talisman light.”

He leaned forward and sniffed. Sulfur. The smell was faint. A human wouldn’t even notice it. “You’ve been marked by a demon.”

She whirled around to face him, clutching her towel. “What does that mean?”

“They like marking their prey. Their claws are like poison.”

“Poison?”

“Not deadly, but it can make you sick.” So sick she’d wish it had been deadly.

“I’m sure you’ve had them before, and you’re fine.”

“I’m a warrior.” His body had been built to withstand things that would kill an ordinary person. “Does it burn?”

“Only when you touch it.”

It should be stinging.

“I didn’t expect we’d spend the night bandaging each other’s wounds,” Bree said, when he was done.

“If you’d left, like I asked…”

“If you’d told me why you wanted to leave, I would have.” She glanced at the blanket and pillow on the floor. “You take the bed.”

“No.” He’d never sleep, anyway, knowing she was so near.

Her chin lifted. “We’ll both take the bed. It’s big. And we both need sleep.” Her words held more conviction than her eyes. She opened a drawer and pulled out something white. “Choose a side of the bed while I put on a gown.” She went back into the bathroom, closing the door.

He grabbed his pillow, sighed, and lay down, awkwardly waiting for her to join him. No good wishing this was something it could never be. Clan law had to be followed. They were too tired to do more than sleep anyway, and if he needed a distraction from his lust, he’d think about what other lies she might have told, like pictures on mantels and keys and books that shouldn’t be.

***

“Are you asleep?”

Faelan rolled over. The mattress shifted under his weight. “No.” His throbbing arm didn’t help, but mostly he was dying from the warm scent drifting across the bed.

Bree lay on her side facing him, her hand curled under her chin. “I can’t sleep, either.”

“Does your shoulder hurt?” It should be on fire by now.

“Not really, but I’m too tense to relax.”

He had a solution, but it wouldn’t be wise. “Sometimes I have trouble sleeping after a battle.” Especially if a warrior died.

“I’ve been thinking about all this. I think Isabel’s visitor, McGowan, was searching for you. I told you about the riddle on the map, but there was also a name at the bottom. F VAULT. That’s one of the reasons I thought the treasure was inside the vault.” She gave him a saucy smile. “Until I opened it and a screaming man popped out, swinging a dagger.”

“I don’t scream. It’s a known fact.” Tavis had considered it a personal challenge.

“Pardon me. Your manly roar scared ten years off my life.”

That cooled his loins. She was lucky she’d only gotten a fright. He rarely missed with his dirk. Never at close range.

“He could’ve been hiding the time vault,” Faelan said. “Demons can’t go into graveyards. Druan would’ve had a minion or halfling do it for him.”